In a semiconductor producing/examining device including an etching device, a chemical vapor deposition device and the like, a heater, a wafer prober and the like using a metal base material such as stainless steel, aluminum alloy and the like have conventionally been employed.
However, in the case of such a metal heater, there was a problem that the temperature controlling property is not good and the body thereof becomes heavy and bulky due to the increased thickness, as well as a problem that the corrosion resistance to corrosive gases is not good. In order to solve such problems, a heater using ceramic of aluminum nitride and the like has been developed in place of a metal heater.
In the ceramic heater as described above, the rigidity of the ceramic substrate itself is high. Accordingly, the ceramic heater has an advantage that warping and the like of the substrate can be prevented without making the substrate so thick.
As one example of such conventional technique, JP Kokai Hei 11-40330 discloses a heater in which an heating element is provided on the surface of nitride ceramic.
In addition, JP Kokai Hei 9-48669 discloses a heater in which blackened aluminum nitride is used.
Further, JP Kokai Hei 5-8140 discloses an electrostatic chuck in which nitrides such as aluminum nitride is used. JP Kokai Hei 9-48668 discloses carbon-containing aluminum nitride which has the Al—O—N structure.